Congregational Temperaments

What is the temperament of your congregation? By “temperament,” I mean a habitual mood, a pattern of acting, a spiritual default setting. Just as individuals have temperaments, so too do congregations. Congregations have lots of feelings running about in them and various people behave in various ways. But the group has a basic was of being. Individuals have a lot of feelings in any given day, sometimes several feelings at the same time. But the individual has a basic temperament. It is the same with a congregation.

Just as some individual temperaments are attractive and others not, the same is true of congregational temperaments. Just as the temperaments of some individuals make them healers or leaders or friends, the same is true of congregations. There are people we gravitate toward when we need consolation or inspiration. Other people we flee from like the plague when we are a bit fragile. So what is your congregation’s temperament?

Image: Figure representing one of the four temperaments. Uploaded by Fæ to Wikimedia Commons

Church of the Ascension is an evangelical parish in the heart of Cajun country. Its K-12 school serves 700 students on three campuses across Lafayette with two full-time positions to begin August 2020.

An ordained Associate Rector for Congregational Development with sacerdotal care of Lower and Middle school students, grades 1-7.

Teacher of Christianity to high school students, including world religions. Ordination helpful but not required.